Shipping crate



April 1939- D. c. SCHUBEL 2,155,688

SHIPPING CRATE Filed April 26, 1937 INVENTOR DONALD C. SCHUBEL BY ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES SHIPPING CRATE Donald C. Schubel, Port Huron, Mich., assignor to Bert Easton, Brighton, Mich.

Application April 26, 1937, Serial No. 139,083

2 Claims.

The invention relates to shipping crates more particularly designed for use in holding fruit boxes, and it is the object of the invention to provide a crate formed of a series of trays which can be separated from each other for display, but locked together during shipment. To this end the invention consists in the novel construction as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in longitudinal section, through my improved crate;

Figure 2 is a sectional end elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing two trays separated from each other but in position to be engaged to form the crate.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, A, B and C are three trays stacked one upon the other and together forming a crate. Each of these trays is formed of end members D and comparatively thin slats connecting the same to form sides and bottom. The members D are of a height slightly greater than that of the baskets tobe placed in the tray and each is provided with a cleat E which overlaps the upper portion thereof and extends upward beyond the same. The sides are formed by slats F which extend beyond the members D, preferably terminating flush with the end faces of the cleats E. The bottom is formed by a plurality of slats G which terminate with the outer faces of the members D. These slats are all secured by nails which are driven into the members D, the latter being of sufiicient thickness to hold the same without splitting. The cleats E are slightly beveled along their inner upper edges and are adapted to embrace the members D of a superposed tray. The bottom slats of this tray will rest upon the upper edge of the members D of the lower tray, and the projecting end portions F of the side slats F of the upper tray will slightly overlap the cleats E of the lower tray. Thus the superposed tray will be held from either longitudinal or lateral displacement with respect to the lower tray, and this will be true of each succeeding superposed tray in the stack which forms the crate.

To lock the trays thus stacked and also to assist in handling the individual trays, each tray is provided at its opposite ends with wire handles H. These are of inverted U-shaped form, their lower ends being provided with eyes H' which engage staples J driven into the cleats E. The cross portion H at the upper end of each handle fits above and around the ends of the staples J of the next superposed tray and by first threading the handle of the upper tray through that of the lower tray they will be locked to each other, as shown in Figure 2. The handle of the top tray in the stack may be bent over the cleat E and downward over the member D being then secured in this position by top slats K which are nailed to the upper edges of the ends D.

In use, the individual baskets L are placed in rows in each of the crates resting upon the bottom slats G and with their top edges slightly below the top edges of the end member D. Thus, when one tray is placed upon another the bottom slats of the upper tray will form a top or retainer for the baskets in the lower tray. After the desired number of trays are stacked the top tray can be closed by the slats K which are nailed to the upper faces of the end members D. Also, as each succeeding tray is placed on the stack its handle H is threaded through the loop of the handle of the lower tray so as to interlock with the same, as previously described. In this condition all of the trays are rigidly locked to each other and will form a shipping crate which will securely hold all of the baskets. It is desirable to limit the number of trays forming one crate and as shown the crate is formed of three trays. If, however, a number of crates are being shipped, these may be stacked upon each other in the same manner as the trays of the individual crates are stacked. In thus stacking a plurality of crates the handles H of the upper tray of each crate which are bent over the cleats E thereof and .under the slats K, might interfere with the stacking of another crate thereabove. To avoid this, the end members D are provided with saw kerfs M across their lower edges so positioned as to register with the bent handle of a lower tray. This will permit the bottom tray of one crate to rest squarely upon the top tray of a lower crate. When the shipment of crates reaches its destination the individual trays may be quickly disengaged from each other and placed in any desired position for display.

What I claim as my invention is:

l A shipping crate comprising a series of superposed trays each formed of relatively thick end members of a predetermined height to receive the contents of the tray, transverse reinforcing cleats extending from side to side overlapping and secured to the outer faces of and extending above said end members, relatively thin side slats extending between said end members and beyond the same to terminate flush with said cleats, and relatively thin bottom slats terminating flush with the outer faces of said end members, the cleats of, each tray extending upward to overlap the ends of the superposed tray and to extend between the projecting end portions of the side slats thereof, the bottom slats of said superposed tray resting on the end members of the lower tray, whereby said trays are held against relative endwise or sidewise displacement.

2. A shipping crate comprising a series of superposed trays each formed of relatively thick end members of a predetermined height to receive the contents of the tray, transverse reinforcing cleats extending from side to side overlapping and secured to the outer faces of and extending above said end members, relatively thin side slats extending between said end members and beyond the same to terminate flush with said cleats, relatively thin bottom slats terminating flush with the outer faces of said end members, the cleats of each tray extending upward to overlap the ends of the superposed tray and to extend between the projecting end portions of the side slats thereof, the bottom slats of said superposed tray resting on the end members of the lower tray, whereby said trays are held against relative endwise or sidewise displacement, handles at the ends of each tray formed of inverted U-shaped wire loops, and fasteners for securing the lower ends thereof to the cleats of the tray, the handle loops of the superposed tray being threaded through the loops of the lower tray to interlock therewith, and the handles of the top tray being adapted to be bent over the cleats thereof, and slats for closing the top of the upper tray and for also securing down the handles thereof.

DONALD C'. SCHUBEL.

CJI 

